The Beginnings of Apple Computer 181
John Burek points out an article written by Stan Veit, former editor-in-chief of Computer Shopper magazine, and one of the first retailers to deal with the fledgling Apple Computer in the late 1970s. Veit describes his introduction to the Apple I and his early interactions with Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak as they developed their early models. Quoting:
"After Woz hooked his haywire rig up to the living-room TV, he turned it on, and there on the screen I saw a crude Breakout game in full color! Now I was really amazed. This was much better than the crude color graphics from the Cromemco Dazzler. ... 'How do you like that?' said Jobs, smiling. 'We're going to dump the Apple I and only work on the Apple II.' 'Steve,' I said, 'if you do that you will never sell another computer. You promised BASIC for the Apple I, and most dealers haven't sold the boards they bought from you. If you come out with an improved Model II they will be stuck. Put it on the back burner until you deliver on your promises.'"
Interesting about Wozniak (Score:5, Insightful)
When Apple went public, Jobs would not give stock to several employees who made the Apple possible. My son gave them stock out of his allotment, or they would have never benefited from the long hours and devotion they put in to start the company. If you had given Jobs the money, he would have found a way to keep you from getting the stock.
I guess Wozniak is a class act. And as far as Jobs is concerned, well; I guess he and Gates are similar people. Actually, I don't think I've heard of Gates screwing employees out of stock.
25 years later, Apple still has the same problem (Score:1, Insightful)
Everytime leading up to a new product release, lots of people put off buying the computer/ipod/etc they want because the next version is just around the corner and is going to be so awesome they'd hate themselves for not waiting.
Re:Figures. (Score:4, Insightful)
I can't imagine that Woz isn't happy. He has money, time to play, time to spend time on whatever he wants without deadlines, and even a fan following.
Jobs clear gave and continues to give Apple a customer-focused vision - something that almost every other company fails at - to the level of a fault.
It is one thing to design an awesome computer - its another to take one that propels a multi-billion dollar industry forward.
Re:Figures. (Score:5, Insightful)
"It is one thing to design an awesome computer - its another to take one that propels a multi-billion dollar industry forward."
Apparently it always takes a raving ego maniac to do it, however. And I'm not just talking about Steve Jobs. The world is run by the nearly and the wholly sociopathic. One could argue that those types drive progress, but there is plenty of wreckage left in their wakes. And in the end it might be that some people who got screwed over by people like Jobs refused to see him--and others like him--for what he was simply because they got dollar signs in their eyes.
An historic moment... (Score:5, Insightful)
"'...You promised BASIC for the Apple I, and most dealers haven't sold the boards they bought from you. If you come out with an improved Model II they will be stuck. Put it on the back burner until you deliver on your promises.'"
And lo, the hardware/software upgrade cycle was born.
Re:Interesting about Wozniak (Score:5, Insightful)
My impression of Woz is that what he is at heart is an engineer. He wants to make stuff, and make stuff work, and make stuff do really nifty things, and create jokes and pranks. I think in his mind being rich is nice and all, but there are much more important things to worry about, like helping other people out and teaching kids about technology.
Hence his gift of stock to other employees: he has plenty for himself, so he decided to do the decent thing and help out some other folks he knew.
Re:Interesting about Wozniak (Score:1, Insightful)
Re:I liked my old Apple II..... (Score:5, Insightful)
Microsoft knows they can't go "We no longer support anything from before Windows 2000" because EVERYONE will be pissed. From corporate accounts who can't use their ancient printers to Joe Sixpack who has a scanner from 1992.
Re:History of Apple from TFA (Score:2, Insightful)
That this has been modded insightful boggles the mind...
Re:Interesting about Wozniak (Score:3, Insightful)
This is a conversation Allen should have started. It's a conversation that should begin the moment you start considering a partnership.
deliver on your promises? (Score:5, Insightful)
The Apple I and II BASIC were basically the same thing and the project was never put on hold. The Apple II had very little extra code, only for handling character I/O differently, some color graphics commands that I added, and the slot-directed character I/O commands (PR #6). If there was some trying to back out of implementing this BASIC on the Apple I, it was never communicated to me. I never spoke to Stan Veit myself about this.
In fact, I definitely had the completed Apple I BASIC running Star Trek on a dozen Apple I's in a store in Orange County, long before BASIC was adapted for the Apple II.
Bottom line is...it's news to me although it makes some sense (the push to support the Apple I).
Re:Figures. (Score:4, Insightful)
It takes someone willing to take the risk, somone who can herd all the right cats, someone willing to endure scorn that comes with success, someone who loves their dreams more than their social life. That such people tend to be egotists and jerks is not at all surprising. Look at the people running free software projects: Linus, Richard, Theo, etc. They tend to be egotists and jerks too, for exactly the same reasons.
Re:Another view of the birth of computing. (Score:4, Insightful)
<shrug> This is why you don't send engineers to negotiate arms-control treaties.
Re:Figures. (Score:3, Insightful)
I fail to see the connection to your shopping habits and Steve Jobs's personality.
Is there some kind of grudge where if someone who acts like a dick ever gets associated with a product, you will never buy it?
Cause that rules out Windows and all Microsoft products, most Chinese made products, most Korean made products, most Japanese products, etc.
Re:deliver on your promises? (Score:2, Insightful)
Re:Marriage made in hell: inventor and entrepreneu (Score:3, Insightful)
Those industries exist to concentrate wealth into the hands of people like Jobs. The fact that we get new toys to play with is almost incidental...
They go hand-in-hand.
Economy of scale. Hobbyist pursuit vs wide-market pursuit. The fact is Woz hanging out at a computer enthusiasts group doesn't get his machine into millions of homes without somebody like Jobs to expand the vision, get investment, hire other people, etc.
I know it's easy to hate rich business people, and there's a lot of bad with the good, but there are tangible benefits.
because of his leech-like attachment to Wozniak and his ability to manipulate him.
Woz made his choices. He was an adult. He seems to have done ok by Jobs. Maybe you should ask Woz himself if he agrees with your sentiments. He's already posted once in this thread.